Turbo Shots
by Rosalind2013
Summary: Things change, but some things will forever remain the same. Love, friendship, and family. One-shot collection that takes place after the end of Season 2 (RebootVerse).
1. Table of Contents

**A/N: This is my one-shot collection for Max Steel (reboot universe). My brother was watching it on Netflix, and I got sucked into the plot and awesome characters. I felt like there should have been an epilogue at the end, but it was great anyhow.**

Also, I really love Steel, so he'll show up a lot in here.

Disclaimer: I do not own Max Steel.

* * *

 **Table of Contents**

 **2.** **Adjustments** \- Life in the McGrath house is different now.

 **3\. Head Rush** \- Steel helps Jim with a problem, and develops one of his own.

 **4\. Calamities** \- Sydney and Max have a study date at Max's house. Of course, he manages to be late.

 **5\. Fangirls** – Max Steel has an impromptu meet-and-greet.

 **6\. Therapy** \- Molly checks in on Jim's progress.

 **7\. New Heights** \- "When she really thought about it, it felt _right,_ somehow."


	2. Adjustments

**A/N: Written before I knew there was a movie. Is there a movie? Can't find it anywhere, so as far as this story is concerned, it doesn't exist.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Max Steel**

* * *

 **Adjustments**

He was loath to admit it, but Steel was infinitely grateful that he linked with Max. They had a connection, a brotherhood. He couldn't imagine life without Max McGrath, which might be why interacting with Jim was awkward, to say the least.

Steel's memory of their partnership was still blank, though the older McGrath seemed to have no problem recollecting their many exploits together.

He knew because every once in a while, when Max slept in on a Saturday morning, his father would tell Steel stories about their time together. The Ultralink knew Jim was only trying to be helpful by filling in the blanks in his memories, but Steel couldn't help but to feel a bit…guilty? Yes, that was it.

It was one such morning when Steel finally hit his breaking point. Max was snoring away in his bed, and Steel retreated to the less noisy living room. Jim McGrath was already awake, as usual. "Morning, Steel," he greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning," Steel returned drowsily; he was not a morning person, despite the cheerful chatter of the birds that nested on the windowsill. The man's eyebrows knitted together in slight concern, "You don't seem well rested."

Steel shrugged, "Max makes chainsaws sound quiet, if ya get my drift." Jim chuckled good-naturedly, "Your sense of humor has certainly improved over the years." A question mark flashed over Steel's optic screen, "You mean I wasn't always this charming?" Jim grinned, "I didn't say that. You were just more _serious_ when I knew you."

Steel pointed at him accusingly, "You mean I was uptight!" Jim shrugged playfully, "Well, if the shoe fits…" The Ultralink crossed his arms, "I don't even _wear_ shoes." A few moments of silence passed between them before Steel turned his gaze back to Jim, the expression on his screen appearing a bit sad. "Uh, Jim?" "Hm?"

"Am I really that different?" he asked. Jim seemed confused, "Different?" Steel waved his arms expressively, "Different than you remember." The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Well, I suppose so. You were always so focused when we worked together. When Max was born, you _tolerated_ him, but you didn't want much to do with him. I never would've imagined you two getting along so well."

Jim smiled, "Serious wasn't a bad thing, though. We saw eye to eye on a lot of things, and I wasn't much of a jokester myself. Despite the current situation, I still consider you one of my closest friends."

Steel fidgeted a bit under Jim's gaze, "Does it feel like you lost your best friend? I mean, I don't really remember anything about you, aside from what you've told me, and what I found through snooping. Doesn't that bother you?" The man smirked a bit, "Yeah, a little. I'm mostly happy for you, though." Another question mark flashed on Steel's screen.

Jim seemed to be sorting out his words and choosing carefully. Finally, he continued, "You were carrying a lot of baggage back in the day, and your military background kept you rigid and cold. Now that all of that has been erased, you're free to be yourself."

Jim smiled widely, "You're happy now, and that's what matters to me." Steel simply stared back at him wordlessly. "You're also a great friend to my son, so I'm grateful for that too," Jim added with a grin.

As if on cue, a disgruntled yell resounded from down the hall. "Steel!" Max rushed into the room, hurriedly scrubbing his teeth with his toothbrush. "Why didn't you wake me up?" he demanded irately. Steel turned to him questioningly, "What?" Max gaped at him, "My date with Sydney! I'm gonna be late!"

The Ultralink rolled his eye, "You're always late." "I know," Max whined. "That's why I didn't want to be late this time!" Steel rested his arm on Max's shoulder, "If you ask me, she should expect it by now."

Max crossed his arms, "I _didn't_ ask you." "Well you _should_. I'm obviously the brains of this operation." "Steel, hurry up!" the teenager moaned, pointing to his chest.

Steel turned to Jim, who looked extremely amused. "Y'know, sometimes I feel like a high-tech babysitter," he complained. The man chuckled lightly, "Sometimes you look like one." "Heh heh. Wait. A babysitter or a baby?" Steel asked suspiciously.

Jim shook his head stubbornly, "Not clarifying." "Oh come on!" Steel shouted, and flew over to cling to the man's shirt. "I need to know!" he yelled, shaking Jim back and forth for good measure.

Max quickly pulled him away, holding him firmly by the arms, "You're the baby." Steel moved to retaliate, but the teenager promptly cut him off. "Now let's _Go Turbo: Speed_!" Blue light flashed as the Steel Suit reconfigured into the streamlined design of Turbo Speed Mode. With that, they were off, leaving Jim to pick up the newspaper they unknowingly blew off the counter. He smiled and shook his head.

If there was one thing he missed more than anything else, it was how small the Max in his memories was. He wasn't a child anymore, and Jim couldn't help but to feel that he'd missed all the crucial moments of his son's life. Max was a man now, and a darn good one. He'd had almost nothing to do with it, and it was a bittersweet situation.

…

Molly hadn't realized it would be so difficult getting used to two men living in the house. She thought Jim's return would be effortless, but after fourteen years living without him, it was hard to adjust to the small things.

Like having to make sure the toilet seat was down first thing in the morning, which led to many impromptu showers on her part. As the acting CEO of TransHuman Industries, it was a little bit embarrassing to show up late to work when she'd never been late before.

Jim was more damaged from his time powering Makino's ship than he let on. Molly saw the flashes of blue T.U.R.B.O energy under the door when he thought no one was looking. After years of having such large amounts of his energy siphoned away without his consent, he had trouble dampening it now.

He felt like a leaky faucet. He'd built several T.U.R.B.O. storage containers that would hold his excess energy, but they were filling up fast, and it wouldn't be long before he slipped up and Myles Dredd located him.

As he sat at the table eating breakfast with his wife, he sighed sadly. "Molly?" "Hm?" she answered, glancing up with a smile. "I'm sure you've noticed by now, but…I'm having trouble controlling my T.U.R.B.O. energy."

Her expression became serious, "I know. You've been storing it in containers. Any luck finding a fix?" Jim laughed nervously and raked his hands through his hair, "Other than dropping them off at Dredd's doorstep? No."

The woman frowned disapprovingly, but otherwise ignored his ill-conceived joke. "Have you spoken to Forge? Berto might be able to work with you on a solution," she stated confidently. Jim nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "No. I…I was too embarrassed."

Molly's face scrunched up, somehow managing to look both outraged and sympathetic. "Ja'em. What happened to you wasn't your fault," she murmured, placing her hand over his.

"I can't even control my own body anymore, Molly. Makino took everything from me. He took my freedom, Max's childhood…you. I just wish he'd left _something_ untouched." Molly cradled his face in her hands gently, "He did."

She poked him in the middle of his chest, "This. He left _this_ untouched."


	3. Head Rush

**Head Rush**

When Max returned to NTEC after a fight with Extroyer, he was ready to do some serious boarding with Berto. It had been a while since they'd had any bro-time. Three days to be exact, which was obviously much too long. "Think you're up for trying to skate again, Steel?" he asked as he wiped his face with a sweat towel.

"I was born ready!" Steel shouted excitedly. They were both surprised to find Berto sitting at a lab table across from Jim McGrath. Blueprints and diagrams were strewn all over, and Berto typed simulations into his programs feverishly.

"Uh, I'd ask what was going on," Max began, picking up an insanely complicated blueprint. "-but I don't think I'd understand it." The Ultralink scanned a few of the diagrams on the table before pointing at Jim accusingly. "I thought you told me you had it under control," Steel huffed indignantly. "I did, at the time. It wasn't a permanent fix, though," Jim replied sheepishly. Max's brow furrowed, "A fix for what?"

Jim's gaze dropped to his hands, which were folded on the table. "I've been having trouble regulating my T.U.R.B.O. energy." Max's eyes widened, "What? Why? Is it because you need Steel too? Maybe we could find a friendly Ultralink-" Jim waved him off, "No, I controlled it just fine before I met Steel."

"Then what's the problem, Dad?" the teenager inquired. "It's because of my time on the Alphalink." Berto nodded solemnly, "After so many years having massive amounts of energy removed involuntarily, containing it within his own body is pretty difficult."

The young scientist pointed to a chart, which showed energy overflowing from a humanoid body. "He's producing way more T.U.R.B.O. energy than normal, because he's used to having such a large output. So we need to find a way to let his body know that it's not necessary anymore. Siphoning is counterproductive." A question mark flashed on Steel's optic screen, "Wouldn't his levels drop to normal naturally?"

"Under perfect conditions, yes. Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of time," Jim replied. Max nodded understandingly, "Dredd. He'll track your energy signature." "Yes. Also, the energy bursts tend to be a bit _destructive_ ," Berto stated matter-of-factly. Jim's eyes suddenly flickered the tell-tale blue of T.U.R.B.O. energy, and he squeezed them shut in concentration as it began to swirl around him.

Berto instinctively shoved one of the storage canisters toward him, and Max snatched it away. "I thought you said siphoning was counterproductive," he accused. "Yes, in the long run! We have no way of controlling it right now," Berto shouted exasperatedly. The two began to argue over the use of the containers, as Jim's power levels continued to rise exponentially.

"Uh, guys?" Steel said, his voice rising an octave as he tried to call their attention to the matter at hand. Berto and Max began a tug-of-war over the container, and continued arguing so loudly that they didn't notice Steel's shouts. The Ultralink's gaze darted from Jim to Berto and back again. As the T.U.R.B.O. energy pulsed forward, he made a split second decision and slammed himself into Jim's chest to absorb the extra energy output.

The resulting flash of light finally managed to get the arguing teens' attention. Max's mouth fell open as he realized what had just happened. The older McGrath seemed just as surprised as anyone else, and Berto seemed to be utterly speechless.

Steel promptly detached from Jim's chest, and floated haphazardly into the center of the room. "Whoa, headrush!" he exclaimed as he spun precariously.

Max gently steadied him, and pulled him a bit closer, inspecting him for damage. "You okay, Ro-bro?" he asked. Steel's optic disk fritzed, "Just fine, Tur-bro." "Berto, scan him for damage," Jim commanded, finally regaining control of his voice.

The latino teen finally snapped out of his trance, and rushed over to his computer screen. "Diagnostics say there's nothing wrong. He must be reacting to the change in either power source or the amount of power," Berto explained.

Steel wrenched himself from Max's grasp and careened across the room, hitting the wall before falling into a bucket of small parts. White sparks flew up from inside the bucket, adding even more worry to his friends' concern. "Are you okay?" they all called in unison. A beat of stressful silence passed before any answer came from the Ultralink.

"Hehe, you should see your faces!" Steel exclaimed, popping up out of the bucket quickly. "You were all like, 'whoa', and I was like 'whoosh', and you were like, 'oh no'! Haha you guys crack me up!" Steel rambled irrationally. The three men shared a concerned look, and Max stepped forward carefully.

"Okay, Steel. Why don't you lie down and rest a while; you don't really seem like yourself," Max suggested helpfully. "What? Lie down? Lie down! I feel great!" Steel exclaimed, before flying in wild circles around the room. Max tried in vain to catch him in the midst of his orbit. "Steel, you're gonna hurt yourself," the teenager exclaimed.

"You're just jealous cause I can fly," the ultralink accused, continuing his circuit around the room. "What? I'm not- Ugh, just come down here!" Max demanded. Steel cackled maniacally and crossed his arms, screen fritzing once more. "You gonna make me?" Max slapped his hand to his forehead, "Berto, are you sure there's nothing wrong with him?"

The scientist shrugged, "Honestly? I think he's just reacting to the excess energy he absorbed from Jim." "Hey, what are you looking at?" the Ultralink demanded, poking the back of a chair accusingly. He paused for a moment, and then reeled back as if he'd been slapped.

"How dare you say that about my mother?" he demanded, slapping the chair for good measure. Berto and Max shared a confused look, and Steel continued his assault on the furniture.

"Oh, you're asking for it now!" Steel yelled, punching the chair. It tipped forward precariously, and then suddenly fell back, trapping Steel underneath it. "Steel, you don't even have a mother," Max reasoned.

"Exactly!" Steel yelled. After a mighty struggle, he finally managed to extract himself from beneath the chair. "This means WAR!" he bellowed, rushing forward with T.U.R.B.O. guns blazing.

The three men ducked as Steel haphazardly fired blue blasts all over the room; most of them missed the target, but the chair still ended up decorated with multiple scorch marks.

As the rising smoke curled up from the piece of furniture, Berto peeked up from under the table with wide eyes. "Is it over?" he asked cautiously. "I sure showed him," Steel announced, dusting his "hands" off. "Uh, you sure did," Max stated as he stepped out from behind the newly destroyed CYTRO robot he'd been using as cover.

The Ultralink cackled wildly and continued flying around the room. "When is this going to wear off?" Jim asked, raising his eyebrow skeptically. Berto shrugged, "Probably until he burns off enough of the excess energy." "Great," Max grumbled.

"Is this how you feel when you eat too much sugar, Max?" Steel exclaimed deliriously as his screen continued to jitter. The teenager frowned, "I sure hope not. That'd mean I'm as dopey as _you_ sometimes."

Steel suddenly glared at him, his jittery screen finally calming, "How about _all_ the time, Max McJunk-food?" Max grinned and crushed the Ultralink in a hug, "Good to see you're okay, buddy!"

Steel suddenly linked to Max involuntarily, and the teenager flinched as extra T.U.R.B.O. energy raced through his body before simmering down. "Well, that was weird," Max and Steel stated in unison. Berto hung his head in defeat, "I'm gonna go run some more tests. Find out what the heck just happened."

Jim looked from Max to Steel and shrugged dismissively, "You two wanna go for a walk?" Max and Steel both nodded enthusiastically, and Jim guided them outside. "Technically I don't walk," Steel stated matter-of-factly. Max and Jim both laughed heartily as the doors slid shut behind him.

* * *

 **A/N: So, as I told Dimensional Girl, I don't officially take requests. That being said, I will take your ideas into consideration! Since this is a One-Shot collection, anything is possible!**

 **~Rose**


	4. Calamities

**Calamities**

Sydney wouldn't say she necessarily had a crush on Max Steel, but it was a little hard not to find a superhero a bit attractive. He was pretty cool in his own way, but the guy she _really_ liked was none other than dorky Max McGrath.

She paused in the middle of the sidewalk, earning some frustrated huffs from the people behind her as they were forced to walk around the girl. How interesting that they were both named Max. When she thought about it, it was almost like… No, no. That would be ridiculous.

She shook her head and smiled before continuing on her way. She was headed to a study date at Max's house, and even though she was going to be at his place, she still expected him to be at least an hour late.

That was why she brought her favorite book along, for when Max inevitably realized that he needed to "take his cat to the dentist", or some other hilarious excuse.

Sydney knew most girls would despise behavior like that, but she found it rather endearing. If he was really hiding something bad, he'd be a much better liar.

She often looked forward to his next hare-brained excuse, wondering what the calamity of the day would be. When she arrived at the McGrath apartment, she was surprised to see that an unfamiliar man opened the door.

Once she got over the initial shock of a new face, she smiled nervously as she remembered that Max told her his dad had returned after so many years of absence.

He hadn't gone into detail, but she assumed that it was a sticky situation. It always was when long-lost fathers finally turned up, though she hoped it would work out well for the family.

Max's dad beamed kindly, the edges of his shockingly blue eyes creasing with a bit of age. "You must be Sydney," he stated confidently, holding out a hand for her to shake.

Her smile brightened as she gripped his hand, "Yep, that's me!" "I'm Jim, Max's dad," he explained warmly. Sydney chuckled, "I kinda figured. You look a lot alike."

Jim grinned, "Well, come on in! Max isn't here yet, but he'll be along eventually." The teenage girl followed him into the apartment and took a seat at the table, arranging her books and notes so that they'd be ready when Max arrived.

She watched as Jim fished around in the refrigerator and pulled out two sodas, offering one to her. Sydney accepted it, and he sat down across from her at the table, sipping on his own drink as he casually flipped through a newspaper.

He didn't seem very preoccupied, so she was sure he was open to conversation, but Sydney had no clue where to start with one.

It would be impolite to ask why he chose now to come back into Max's life, and that was currently the only topic she could think of.

"Max tells me a lot about you. It's strange, because I feel like I know you even though we haven't met," Jim explained, finally breaking the silence.

Sydney beamed in spite of herself, "Really? He does?" Jim chuckled, "Oh yeah. Don't tell him I told you, but he doesn't talk about much else." Sydney giggled and quickly crossed her heart, "I won't speak a word of it."

"Good. Now, I know you probably have a lot of questions about me, so fire away. I'll try to answer them as best I can," Jim stated with a reassuring smile. Sydney's eyes widened, "Oh, well I don't know what to ask." "Anything," the man assured her.

"Um, well what brings you to Copper Canyon?" she asked politely. He shrugged nonchalantly, "Molly and Max. We'd been separated so long, there wasn't anywhere else I wanted to be."

"But why weren't you with them to begin with, if you don't mind my asking?" Sydney pushed cautiously.

Jim sighed, his eyes suddenly looking centuries older, "It's pretty complicated-" Sydney deflated, feeling rather rude for asking. "-But, I'll give you the gist of it," Jim continued, and the girl immediately perked up.

"Long before the Ultralink invasion that you know of, there was a preliminary assault on Earth," he began, earning a wide-eyed stare from Sydney. "I was part of the agency that fought back against them, a soldier of sorts. I ended up being taken as a prisoner of war, and was held for sixteen years. I was finally freed by Max Steel during the final battle against the Ultralink invaders."

The girl's jaw had dropped sometime during his explanation, and she quickly snapped her mouth shut. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes. Jim smiled kindly, "No need to apologize, it wasn't your fault."

She shook her head, a few droplets landing on her papers, "But I just assumed you were a deadbeat dad! I never should have jumped to conclusions like that!"

He raised his hands pacifyingly, "That was a reasonable assumption to make. It's a lot more common than the truth. I'm not offended." She sniffed and dried her tears, "I'm glad you're back. Max really missed you."

A knowing smile stretched across the older McGrath's face, "I missed him too."

When Max entered his family's apartment, he was surprised to see his dad sitting at the table with Sydney. They were laughing and joking like they'd known each other for ages. He glanced at the time on his clock and realized he was only forty minutes late.

Apparently that was just enough time for his dad to become his crush's new best friend. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or jealous.

'I think Sydney is stealing your dad,' Steel noted observantly. Max grimaced, he hadn't thought of it that way. Was that better or worse than his original conclusion?

"Oh, hey Max," Sydney greeted, with the gentle smile that made him feel all gooey inside. He chuckled nervously, "Hey Syd!" He promptly tripped over his own feet and caught himself on the edge of the counter, earning a muffled giggle from Sydney.

'Nice job, Romeo,' Steel commented in Max's mind. He ignored his buddy's comments and quickly took a seat next to the girl, "Uh, sorry I'm so late. I had to take my hat to the…dry cleaner's?"

Sydney nodded rather seriously, and started flipping to her geometry notes. Jim raised an eyebrow at his son, who made a face and shrugged helplessly.

"Okay, so if you have a right triangle, then this is a 90 degree angle…"

Jim moved to the couch while they studied, periodically sneaking glances when he was sure they weren't looking. Seeing the subtle sidelong glimpses pass between them, Sydney's peaceful smile, and the way Max's eyes lit up when she looked at him… Jim became aware that this was developing into something more than a mere crush.

Though, he'd suspected as much simply by listening to Max talk about the young lady. Sydney continued to work on geometry problems with Max, and the two teens chatted playfully.

As he watched them banter, he remembered Max's story about how Sydney had boldly stood up to various villains, including Extroyer and Elementor. For someone so small, she had such a courageous spirit.

It reminded him of another brave woman he knew. Jim McGrath couldn't help but to be grateful that his little Max had found someone just as amazing as Molly.

* * *

 **A/N: Short and sweet.**

 **~Rose**


	5. Fangirls

**Fangirls**

As Max lowered himself down onto the sidewalk, a large crowd of girls appeared seemingly from nowhere. They pushed and pulled, jostling Max and Steel around in a way that was reminiscent of a game of ping-pong.

Max was torn between being embarrassed by the attention, and wanting to soak it in. He wasn't usually one to stick around and talk to fans, but the sheer number of ladies surrounding him made him think twice. Would they be angry if he just took off?

"Can I get a selfie with you?" a red-haired girl asked, an earnest look on her face. "Can you sign my shirt?" "Please, just one picture!" Their voices all melded together in a loud cacophony that had Max struggling to keep up.

It was Saturday, and he had the whole day free, so there was no reason he couldn't hang out a while. He held his hands up in what he hoped was a calming gesture, "Okay, I'll do it. I'm going to need you all to form a line first though."

There was a chorus of giggles and triumphant shouts as they scrambled to get into a semblance of a line. The first girl, the shy redhead from before, seemed ecstatic as Max Steel scooted in close for her selfie. She smiled broadly and gave him a quick hug before darting off to show her friends.

The next girl who approached him had chestnut brown hair, and her phone was clenched tightly in her hand. "Did you want a picture?" Max asked, when she didn't say anything.

"Yes!" she nearly shouted, nodding her head enthusiastically. Max smiled beneath his helmet and stepped over beside her, preparing for the selfie. "Actually, I wanted a picture with Steel."

A beat of silence passed, and then the girls in line spoke up in unison. "Me too!" they shouted. "With…Steel?" Max repeated, checking to make sure he'd heard them correctly. The girls all nodded affirmatively, and Steel suddenly detached himself from Max's chestplate.

"Hello _ladies_ ," he said with an exaggerated flash of his optic screen. Max assumed it was supposed to be a wink, but since he only had one "eye", it didn't quite work out for him. Nevertheless, the crowd went wild, and Max was left staring incredulously as the women swarmed to Steel.

The teenage boy watched as the line moved forward, and the women would often rush to Steel first, and then double back to get an autograph from Max as an afterthought.

He knew Steel was instrumental in his success as a superhero, but he couldn't help feeling slighted by the fans' inattention to him.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and his gaze locked onto a pair of warm brown eyes. Sydney brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes and smiled brightly, making him catch his breath in a quiet gasp.

"Can I get a picture with you?" she asked, still smiling warmly. Max was glad his helmet shielded his face from sight, because he was sure he had a dopey smile spread across his face as he nodded. "Sure, Sydney."

She giggled and playfully bumped his arm with her elbow, "Hey, you remembered!" The superhero chuckled, "Of course I did. You saved my life, remember?" She held her phone out in front of her and wrapped her free arm around his waist; Max instinctively draped his own arm over her slender shoulders.

Sydney smiled and pushed the shutter button on her phone, capturing a picture with the famed Max Steel. She left her arm around his waist as she checked the photo to make sure it was satisfactory. He knew his dumbstruck smile had returned, and was once again glad that his helmet hid his face.

Sydney grinned at him once more, exclaiming a quick thank you before she took her leave. As he watched the crowd of girls gathered around Steel, he no longer felt jealous that the Ultralink had so many more fans than he did.

If Sydney was the only fan he had, it was more than enough for him.

* * *

 **A/N: Very short, but I like the way it turned out!**


	6. Therapy

**Therapy**

Jim McGrath sighed as he shoved another container full of T.U.R.B.O. energy into the closet. The man shook his head as he closed the door and walked into the kitchen area to find something to eat for lunch.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Molly's concerned voice floated over to him from her place at the table. He raised his eyebrows as he made eye contact with his wife. "I didn't think you'd be home," he said, having forgotten that she asked a question.

Molly smiled and stood up to make her way over to him. She lovingly brushed her fingers against his face, "It's Saturday. I usually take the afternoons off to spend time with Max," she explained.

Jim chuckled, "Of course you do. You're a great mom, you know that?" The woman smirked, "So I've been told. You still haven't answered my question."

Jim stared at her blankly, and she smoothed his hair down with a gentle touch. "Is your T.U.R.B.O. output getting any better, Ja'em?" He stiffened and looked toward the ground.

"Well, I'm only filling one container a day now, so I'm making some progress. Berto really is a genius." The engineer's treatment ideas were nothing less than revolutionary, and Jim was glad to have his help.

Molly tenderly wrapped her arms around her husband and held him close. After being universes apart for so many years, sometimes she just needed to touch him to confirm that he was still there.

He returned her embrace with equal fervor, and before she knew it, they were both sobbing as they clung to each other like a lifeline. It wasn't the first time they'd dissolved into tears that way, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Eventually, their tears dried and they stayed wrapped in their intimate embrace. Jim placed a kiss on top of her head before he pulled back, a bright smile on his face as he gazed into her eyes. "Would you like to go out for lunch?" he asked, as casual as he could be under the circumstances.

Molly snorted, "Yeah, sure! Let's go!" She slipped on the pair of heels she had discarded beside the door, and grabbed her handbag from the counter. "Wait, where's Max?" Jim asked, pausing in the midst of pulling on his jacket.

The brunette woman smirked cheekily, "Hanging out with Kirby and Sydney. It's just you and me today, Ja'em." His blue eyes flashed with amusement, "Okay. It's a date, then." Molly laughed giddily and grabbed his hand, threading her fingers through his and dragging him out the door.

She swung their arms between them as they walked, practically bouncing with excitement, and he couldn't help but to be reminded of the way things were when they first met. As they stepped out onto the street, Molly continued to pull him along as she nearly jogged to the restaurant.

Her stilettos clicked rapidly against the pavement, and he struggled to keep pace beside her. He smiled contentedly and squeezed her hand; some things never change.

* * *

 **A/N: Jim and Molly feels. I didn't mean to make it so emotional, but it just happened.**


	7. New Heights

**New Heights**

The wind rushed through the park, rustling the dry leaves on the trees and tousling the hair of the citizens of Copper Canyon. The grass was never quite green, but the park was a welcome break from the monotony of the buildings that surrounded it. A blonde teenager sat on the bench with her friend.

"Dude, I can't believe you got a picture with Max Steel!" the teenage boy exclaimed. The girl laughed, "Yeah, he was really cool about it." The boy adjusted the green beanie on his head, causing his wild hair to splay over his face and obstruct his vision. He seemed not to notice, and continued talking, "You think he'd take a picture with me too?"

Sydney shrugged, "You won't know until you ask." Her eyes darted down to the picture that was still pulled up on her phone. Her arm was wrapped around Max Steel's waist, which was unremarkable in and of itself.

Sydney was an affectionate person, and she didn't have any issues invading other people's personal space most of the time. The thing that really caught her attention was the way the superhero's arm was casually draped across her shoulders.

She'd looked up Max Steel's tagged photos that night, and realized that in none of the other photos did he throw an arm around the person he took a picture with. He leaned in close to them, but his arms were always politely by his side. She chalked it up to that battle with Elementor, but there was a nagging suspicion in the back of her mind that it was more than that.

"Hey Kirby, what do you think Max Steel is like when he's not saving the day?" Sydney asked thoughtfully. The boy shrugged, "I dunno. He's probably a dork. Anyone who comes up with one-liners like that has gotta be pretty awkward in real life." Sydney giggled, "Maybe. He's a good hero though."

The rhythmic sound of feet pounding the pavement caught their attention, and they turned to see Max McGrath bounding toward them. He looked a bit winded as he skidded to a less-than-graceful stop in front of them.

"Sorry guys, I got a little held up. My dad wanted me to…inspect the fridge…for leaks!" Sydney bit back her laughter, and instead shot him a radiant smile.

"It's okay, Max. We were just talking about Max Steel while we waited," she stated as she scooted over to allow him room on the bench. He took a seat, and the wooden planks of the park bench groaned in protest of the addition of more weight.

The wind tousled his hair, and Sydney sighed as she realized that it would be inappropriate to run her fingers through it, especially with Kirby sitting beside her.

She threaded her fingers together in her lap as she gazed out at the children playing on the monkey bars. A little girl slipped off and landed in the dirt, giggling about her own mishap. "So, uh, what were you guys saying about Max Steel?" the new arrival asked conversationally.

Kirby laughed, "We were wondering what he's like when he's not superhero-ing." The blonde snickered, "Kirby thinks he's dorky in real life." Max suddenly looked personally offended, "What! Why would you guys think that?" Sydney raised her hands defensively, "That's just Kirby's theory."

Max gazed at her thoughtfully, "What do you think?" As she regarded the weight of the look he was giving her, she realized that he seemed to place a lot of importance on her answer. Why would Max care what she thought of Max Steel? Sydney smiled pensively, "I think he's probably really handsome and funny."

His electric blue eyes widened, and Sydney felt a measure of satisfaction at his reaction to her words. Perhaps he was jealous; she wondered if Max liked her enough to feel that way. He certainly acted like he might be romantically interested, but still hadn't officially asked her out.

 _Perhaps Max was reacting that way because of some other reason_ , a small voice in the back of her mind considered. He suddenly seemed to realize that his face had moved of its own accord, and tried to school it back into an expression of neutrality.

"What do you think he's like, Max?" Kirby asked helpfully. "O-Oh. I think he's probably just a normal guy," Max contributed with a nervous grin.

"Like you?" Kirby asked with a barking laugh. Instead of laughing the way Sydney expected, Max froze up. His eyes were blown wide, and he remained so unmoving that she questioned whether or not he was still breathing.

Her question was answered when he finally took a sharp breath and forced out a chuckle. The smile plastered on his face was obviously false, and that nagging suspicion was back again as she watched Max prattle on about the school project he hadn't finished yet.

Would it really be such a stretch for Max McGrath to be Max Steel? When she really thought about it, it felt _right_ , somehow. She stared into the captivating blue of his eyes, and suddenly she could only see brilliant blue of Max Steel's transformative energy.

"Sydney?"

She was brought back to reality when Max called her name, jarring her from a contemplative stupor.

"Sydney, are you okay?" he asked, concern reflecting back at her in those stunning turquoise eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just…lost in thought," she replied truthfully. He smiled gently, and she belatedly realized that his hand was resting on top of hers. His touch was warm and sincere; she missed it when he pulled away.

As Kirby launched into a conversation about which gross combinations of foods were the best for a midnight snack, Sydney watched her friend Max with a new level of fascination.

Every movement, every facial expression, every kindhearted glance in her direction took on a new meaning as she reconciled herself with the truth. Max, the boy who had captured her heart, was the superhero who had captured the hearts of the citizens of Copper Canyon.

The swings in the park squeaked as the children pumped their legs to reach new heights, imagining that they could take off and fly, and Sydney wondered if Max Steel felt the same way about flying as the children did.

She saw caught the wistful expression on her friend's face as he, too, watched the kids play, and realized that he probably did.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there it is. Partial reveal is finally here!**


End file.
